There are new Medicare payment rules that went into effect on April 1, 2016, that will have an impact on patients. “Medicare’s new bundled-payment initiative for hip and knee replacements and other lower-extremity-joint-replacement surgeries, proposed last July and finalized in November, affects close to 800 hospitals in 67 randomly chosen US cities.” The goal of this new payment plan, which is called Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model, is to reduce complications and hospital readmission’s after people receive surgeries. This article discusses how bundled payments work as well as the plan’s financial incentives. There are also many risks and benefits for patients that are explained, and resources are provided in the article for people who want more information about the new Medicare payment rules.
See Amy Fontinelle, Medicare’s New Payment Rules: Should You Worry?, Investopedia, April 7, 2016.
